


the 1

by mellowasinyellow



Series: folklore [1]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: F/M, if i continue it it will have a happy ending, might be sad, please don't get too sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:35:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28631853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mellowasinyellow/pseuds/mellowasinyellow
Summary: Katniss Everdeen has restarted her life as a park ranger, determined to leave the sadness of her past behind.  But when Delly Cartwright appears on one of the hikes she is leading a conversation opens the floodgates that throw Katniss back down memory lane.
Relationships: Delly Cartwright/Other(s), Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Series: folklore [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2098236
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22
Collections: folklore





	the 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is just a little ficlet based on some feelings I had while listening to the first track on Taylor Swift's album folklore. I have so many more feelings about this track so if you would like to read them let me know!

Spring 2020

“Katniss?” A shrill voice calls louder than it could possibly need to in the quiet murmur of 5am. “Katniss? Is that you?” 

Before I can register what is happening a wide smile and head full of blonde curls is in front of me. “Oh gosh, look at you! Darius, it is her! Darius?” Delly Cartwright stands before me waving her husband towards us.

“Uh. Hi Delly,” I try to match her smile, but manage only a little twitch. 

“Oh my goodness, it’s just so good to see you! Tell me everything; do you work here?” 

“Uh, yeah. I-, I’m leading the hike this morning.” 

“Oh, isn’t that just wonderful. Isn’t it wonderful Darius, she’s leading our hike,” Delly signs along as she speaks. 

Darius gives me a smile, a nod, and a wave. I wave back. 

“We should really let you get on with your work day, but I really can’t wait to catch up Katniss!” I know she means it. Nothing could please her more than catching up with old friends. I smile in return trying to pretend there is nothing more that I would like than to catch up with her, but inside my stomach sinks and that anxious feeling that has me reaching for milky tea overtakes. 

Delly surprises me with the restraint she shows. She and Darius stand off to one side while the other members of our hiking party arrive and register. I give the usual safety lecture and a bit of background on the hike we will be taking. 

The group is a mixed bag. A few locals who know the area, but want to try a longer hike, a few section hikers, and even some international tourists, who have lots of questions about the history of the Appalachian trail. I barely notice Delly and Darius until we stop for lunch. 

Delly appears in front of me as soon as I have done a once over to make sure everyone has their lunch supplies and a space to sit. Her chubby cheeks are beaming at me, “I know you’re working, but even rangers have to take a break, would you like to eat with us?” She gestures over to where Darius is sitting in a collection of boulders looking out over the stream we have stopped by. 

She phrases it so sweetly that I know she truly means to make it sound optional, but requests like these never are. Besides, who else am I going to eat with? My fellow ranger, Haymitch, who is barely managing to keep up with the back of the group? 

I sit next to Darius and gaze over the stream as I slowly sip coffee from my thermos and chew slowly on my sandwich as Delly cross examines the past five years of my life. She seems to have heard about Prim and together we navigate the conversation in such a manner that I don’t have to say aloud that my sister is dead. I don’t have to tell her about the crippling depression that lost me my teaching job or the head doctor that helped me put my life back together and become a park ranger. I learn from her and Darius that they have four children now; Eliza, Gerard, Lenora, and Dean, who they have left home with Delly’s parents. Casting my mind back I can just about remember Eliza in a pastry-like gown toddling around at the wedding and maybe I can remember Delly and Darius leaving early with a baby carrier in tow. 

“Do you want to see?” Darius asks gesturing to his phone. He takes great pride in showing me all four children on his phone. I look. I smile. I nod. I privately think to myself that they look exactly like all the other children people show me photos of on their phones. 

“Sugar cookie Katniss?” Delly is holding a tupperware box in front of my face. It is filled with delicate cookies each painted to perfection with a different spring flower. I gaze in awe at them. “You still remember eating these when we were kids?” Delly asks. I nod. “Yeah, they still taste the same, but Peeta’s decorating is really something these days, isn’t it?” She’s not wrong. Peeta had always had a knack for decorating, painting with icing, but these cookies showed the seven years of practise that had passed since I had last eaten one. 

“How is Peeta?” I ask unable to stop myself. My brain burns after I’ve said it. 

“Oh, you know, running the bakery. Rye moved to New York. Alba has pretty much moved full time to working in the bakery too, and they’re expecting in the fall.” She beams. 

“Expecting?” I say aloud in confusion because my brain won’t let it mean what it was supposed to mean. 

“Oh,” Delly gasps and covers her mouth, “Did Peeta not tell you yet? Oh, you won’t tell him I stole his thunder, will you?” Her blue eyes plead with me and I don’t know how to tell her that that won’t be an issue. He hasn’t spoken to me since his wedding day. 

“How many people is that you have told before him now?” Darius asks rolling his eyes at his wife. 

“Well, I thought it was common knowledge now,” Delly rolled her eyes right back.

“Oh, we’re not close anymore really,” I attempt to say in an off-hand tone, unsure if it carries. 

“Really?” Asks Delly, ignoring what I clearly read as a warning look from Darius. “I can’t believe that.” 

My brain burns more intently at this. I want to sob and tell soft, sweet, kind Delly how the best man I had ever known hadn’t even sent a thank you note for the wedding present, hadn’t even sent condolences for my sister’s funeral, how the text messages I sent just sat in an unanswered string on the right with two blue ticks next to each. I can’t say any of that. I don’t know why I text him every birthday and why he never answers. When Prim died and condolences flooded in from home each card and each flower was just another card and flower not from him. I can only assume he had his reasons. Had Jo and I been unreasonably drunk at his wedding? I remembered being merry, dancing a lot, and watching him leave in a car and realising it was all really over. Whatever the reasons, it’s not about to be resolved by Delly Cartwright in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

“Shall we get cracking sweetheart?” Haymitch has clearly demolished his lunch and is on his feet. The group are beginning to mill about, some sneaking off for a discreet bathroom break. I hate that nickname, but it grounds me and no tears fall from my eyes. 

“Tell him congratulations from me, won’t you Delly?” I ask fixing her intently with my eyes. 

“Oh of course,” She grins enthusiastically, “and I’ll be sure to scold him for not telling you himself!”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for making it this far! I hope you enjoyed it enough to leave kudos or a comment!


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